Wednesday, January 26, 2011

After this week's tragic bombing at Moscow's Domodedovo Airport, people are asking what TSA is doing to secure crowded areas on the public side of the airport from a similar type of attack.

As always, we are working with our international partners to share and analyze information regarding the latest terrorist tactics and security best practices. At U.S. airports, you may continue to notice TSA security measures in all areas of the airport, including before the checkpoint. These measures include behavior detection officers (BDO), explosive detection technology, canine teams and Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR) teams, among other measures both seen and unseen. You may remember an incident in 2008 when one of our BDOs spotted a suspicious passenger in Orlando well before the screening checkpoint.This led to the discovery of two galvanized pipes, end caps, two small containers containing BBs, batteries, two containers with an unknown liquid, laptop, and bomb making literature.

TSA security personnel continue to analyze information coming out of Moscow and share information and best practices with our partners. We also continue to work closely with local law enforcement officers and airport officials to protect our nation's airports.

Securing the public side of airports is a joint responsibility.Each airport has a set security plan that is reviewed and approved by TSA. TSA regulates these plans to ensure the best possible security.

As we've said in the past, while it is impossible to completely eliminate risk, our many layers of security mitigate risks to help keep airports secure.TSA will continue to utilize these layers to keep you safe when you travel.We also encourage you to remain aware of your surroundings and report any suspicious activity to TSA or local law enforcement.

Blogger BobTSA Blog Team

If you’d like to comment on an unrelated topic you can do so in ourOff Topic Comments post. You can also view ourblog post archives or search our blog to find a related topic to comment in. If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact a Customer Support Manager at the airport you traveled, or will be traveling through by using Talk to TSA.

Is the TSA still using/testing the SPO-7 system? (http://www.tsa.gov/blog/2009/04/see-spo-see-spo-screen-screen-spo.html) A passive millimeter wave system (not to be confused with the body scanners at the checkpoint) seems to me (alongside LEOs and BDOs) would be the most effective response to prevent/deter such attacks.

Blogger Bob wrote: "After this week's tragic bombing at Moscow's Domodedovo Airport, people are asking what TSA is doing to secure crowded areas on the public side of the airport from a similar type of attack."

It's unclear if TSA and its personnel have any statutory authority outside of the checkpoint area, and especially extending to the non-sterile area. Please feel free to provide us with references to relevant laws granting it such authority.

Blogger Bob also wrote: "As we've said in the past, while it is impossible to completely eliminate risk, our many layers of security mitigate risks to help keep airports secure."

With respect, only some of your layers help. Others are just there to give people -- most of whom have no training in security and wouldn't know how to evaluate those layers -- that "warm and fuzzy" feeling. Case in point, you wrote:

"We also encourage you to remain aware of your surroundings and report any suspicious activity to TSA or local law enforcement."

If you ask amateurs to be your eyes and ears, you will get amateur security. The fact is that the vast majority of people can't identify suspicious activity if it happens right in front of them and are only vaguely aware of their surroundings.

You are, perhaps, not aware of the experiment during which video of a basketball game was shown to a number of people who were told to count the number of passes made. They tried, but in the process of doing that, completely missed the researcher who walked through the scene wearing a gorilla suit and thumping his chest.

"You may remember an incident in 2008 when one of our BDOs spotted a suspicious passenger in Orlando well before the screening checkpoint. This led to the discovery of two galvanized pipes, end caps, two small containers containing BBs, batteries, two containers with an unknown liquid, laptop, and bomb making literature."

Nice job not mentioning that the stuff was in checked baggage and could not have harmed his flights. Sort of how you refuse to address the reports by both the GAO and Nature that found the BDO/SPOT program is a laughable waste of money that has never made anyone, anywhere, safer.

"A search of the man's luggage found what were thought to be explosive components. The suspect, Kevin Brown of Jamaica, eventually avoided felony charges when he argued the items were for his radio-controlled car."

It's good to hear the TSA address this terrorism scenario, but I'm wondering "what took so long?" The possibility of a bomb attack well short of the checkpoint has been pointed out on this blog more times than I can count.

At this point, I'll give the TSA the benefit of a doubt, and give them credit for having already thought about this. However, not addressing this point until now adds to the perception that the TSA is reactive instead of proactive.

This led to the discovery of two galvanized pipes, end caps, two small containers containing BBs, batteries, two containers with an unknown liquid, laptop, and bomb making literature.

...in his checked bags. Where he wouldn't have access to them during the flight, so who cares?

At U.S. airports, you may continue to notice TSA security measures in all areas of the airport, including before the checkpoint. These measures include behavior detection officers (BDO),

Useless.

explosive detection technology,

If you can detect explosives "before the checkpoint", then why do Passengers have to take off their shoes? Why do we have to have our liquids swab-tested?

canine teams

Same as above- why do we need go through the nudie-scanner, if a metal detector and a sniff from a dog to check for explosives would do??

and Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR) teams

a.k.a. "we wanna expand outside just airports"

among other measures both seen and unseen.

Heh. Yeah, right. But the airport maintainance workers just walk right past security.

""All I need is my Port Authority ID, which I swipe through a turnstile. The 'sterile area' door is not watched over by any hired security or by TSA. I have worked at JFK for more than three years now and I have yet to be randomly searched. Really the only TSA presence we notice is when the blue-shirts come down to the cafeteria to get food.""- http://boingboing.net/2010/11/29/tsa-scans-uniformed.html

We also encourage you to remain aware of your surroundings and report any suspicious activity to TSA or local law enforcement.

"Everything will be all right. You are in my hands. I am here to protect you. You have nowhere to go. You have nowhere to go."

Bob, that is almost completely opposite from what your Chairman of the House Transportation Committee said. Also, as far as your claim on the effectiveness of the SPOT program, that is almost completely opposite from what the GAO said. Will TSA put a link on your home page to that ABC news story like the other ABC news links that contained "good" news?Hmmmm...... You and the TSA are trying to dig yourselves out of a hole that is caving in around you.

"You may remember an incident in 2008 when one of our BDOs spotted a suspicious passenger in Orlando well before the screening checkpoint. This led to the discovery of two galvanized pipes, end caps, two small containers containing BBs, batteries, two containers with an unknown liquid, laptop, and bomb making literature."

Yup, I remember that incident. I also remember that the behavior of the pax in question had been noticed by other pax waiting in the same lines & airport LEOs were notified long before the TSA came along to get their pictures taken.

Quoted:" Anonymous said... Oh, by the way, Kevin Brown was never convicted.

"A search of the man's luggage found what were thought to be explosive components. The suspect, Kevin Brown of Jamaica, eventually avoided felony charges when he argued the items were for his radio-controlled car."

I posted the below, related to the bombing, under "off-topic" before there was a place to post regarding the bombing...

But I now have an additional question: why has "off-topic" been moved to the archives again? Hopefully it's not because of the comments on Phil Mocek and the court decision in his favor, against TSA...

Regarding the bombing: concerned posters on this blog have repeatedly brought up the dangerous situation TSA has created with its backed-up lines at TSA, with large number of us in a crowded area waiting to be made "safe." I've yet to see an answer that showed that TSA took the threat seriously.

Well, now it's happened: a deadly attack on passengers in an airport rather than in an airplane--in Russia, admittedly. (Though it actually did happen, before, at LAX--http://articles.cnn.com/2002-07-04/us/la.airport.shooting_1_el-al-gunman-yakov-aminov?_s=PM:US). It's clear that some terrorists have figured out what's been obvious to those of us standing in line for many years. YOU, TSA, have created a perfect terrorist target: we, the passengers, standing in your crowded TSA lines. Think of what one man did in Tucson with a legal weapon, legally obtained, and think of what a determined terrorist or terrorists could do in an airport at the TSA line. I am now indeed scared--not to fly, but to stand in your lines!

PLEASE explain how you are addressing this IMMEDIATELY. Because your scanners, your required removal of shoes, and "enhanced pat downs" are making LONGER lines, with passengers LESS able to escape or tackle terrorists if need be (I'm imagining trying to run with a shoe half off, through the cables and posts defining the TSA line). YOU, TSA, have created a LARGER, MORE ATTRACTIVE target for the terrorists. How is this protecting us?

This is a serious question, a serious issue, and I see NO sign TSA has taken it with the seriousness it should.

What a disgusting display of misleading propaganda. Like the other poster stated, the materials that the TSA found were in checked baggage and were NOT dangerous, they were for a radio controlled airplane. To save all of us from harmless items, the TSA forces the American people to undergo a digital strip-search or a TSO place their hands on our family's breasts, buttocks and genitals?

The TSA is NOT making us safer, but they ARE making us less free.

Anonymous said...Oh, by the way, Kevin Brown was never convicted.

"A search of the man's luggage found what were thought to be explosive components. The suspect, Kevin Brown of Jamaica, eventually avoided felony charges when he argued the items were for his radio-controlled car."

In the US, local municipalities or state entities manage public airports. For example, in the NY and NJ areas, the New York and New Jersey (The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey) manages the airports.

TSA is a Federal entity. It stands to reason the TSA has the authority in public areas for US airports.

Anonymous wrote: "In the US, local municipalities or state entities manage public airports. For example, in the NY and NJ areas, the New York and New Jersey (The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey) manages the airports.

TSA is a Federal entity. It stands to reason the TSA has the authority in public areas for US airports."

What now? Airports are managed by local or state municipalities. Therefore it stands to reason the TSA has authority?

Anonymous:"It's clear that some terrorists have figured out what's been obvious to those of us standing in line for many years. YOU, TSA, have created a perfect terrorist target: we, the passengers, standing in your crowded TSA lines."

I absolutely agree with this. Your security checkpoints will NEVER make us any safer because you can't protect the whole world. You just cause the terrorist to pick a different target.

I am still wondering why it is that all real, attempted terrorist acts that have occurred, so far, have been foiled by the passengers *ON* the airplanes *AFTER* going through security. The shoe bomber, the underwear bomber were real acts of terror that could have been disasters. TSA had absolutely nothing to do with detecting the dangers beforehand. Doesn't that pretty much show TSA as being totally ineffective? The terrorists are obviously one step ahead. I'm sorry to say, it's only a matter of time before one of these animals is successful.

Harriet Holsun said: "I am still wondering why it is that all real, attempted terrorist acts that have occurred, so far, have been foiled by the passengers *ON* the airplanes *AFTER* going through security. The shoe bomber, the underwear bomber were real acts of terror that could have been disasters. TSA had absolutely nothing to do with detecting the dangers beforehand. Doesn't that pretty much show TSA as being totally ineffective? The terrorists are obviously one step ahead. I'm sorry to say, it's only a matter of time before one of these animals is successful."

To be fair, both of the individuals you mention flew out of airports that are overseas -- the shoe bomber from Paris, and the underwear bomber from the Netherlands.

The security failures at those airports should not reflect negatively on TSA -- they were not the ones providing security.

I am all for holding the TSA accountable, but only for what they are actually responsible for.

There is a lot of controversy about the TSA security processes in regards to scanners and pat-downs and violations of the 4th amendment. Personally, I believe that any scanner of someone is a violation of the principle of "innocent until proven guilty".

The Moscow bombings were the perfect example of the limitations of trading freedom for security. Checkpoints didn't stop this person. The checkpoints simply moved the target. Our country allowing innocent people to be poked, prodded, or scanned without cause has not made us any more secure and has diminished our freedom.

I miss the days when my wife would meet me at the gate after a long flight home.

Suit Luggage said: "Personally, I believe that any scanner of someone is a violation of the principle of "innocent until proven guilty"."

Really? ANY scanner? So if I, as the CEO of ACME Airlines decide to run a scan on passengers at the gate, and disclose that up front when you book, this violates the principle of "innocent until proven guilty"?

What if I require passengers to step onto a scale so we can weigh them? It's a scan of sorts and after all, that might allow my airline to seat passengers in an optimal fashion to achieve a certain weight distribution. Or help ensure we don't exceed a certain weight. How does that violate the principle of "innocent until proven guilty"?

There are certainly Constitutional issues that can be raised in regards to the administrative searches that the TSA conducts and I believe that Courts have allowed too much leeway in the guise of such administrative searches.

I, too, miss the day when family could be waiting as I step off the jetway and onto the airport building.

I wonder if a new airport management for a facility designed from the get-go in a way that isolates "arrivals" from "departures" could make the case to TSA that arrivals are not part of the sterile area.

What is the TSA doing to speed people through security checkpoints and decrease their exposure to suicide bombers there?

TSA should be focusing on finding guns and bombs. Stop the war on water! Stop the shoe dance! Stop confiscating nail clippers, pliers and other non-harmful items. Stop trying to check for drugs, cash and checks.

The TSA has a 70% failure rate on detecting guns and bombs in carry-on luggage at the checkpoints. Improve this! Focus on your mission, focus on keeping the lines down and you will be keeping people safe!

We now have real proof: Security checkpoints are a security risk. It was only a matter of time before someone worked out that you don't need to get your weapon through screening to cause severe mayhem, because the long lines of people waiting to go through make an even easier target.

It's a testament to how stupid the typical terrorist is that it's taken this long to work it out. It's also a testament to how stupid organisations like the TSA are that they've forced people into these lines in the first place, making them figurative sitting (standing?) ducks.

Or maybe it's deliberate. Maybe security is really there to protect planes, not passengers. That would explain why passengers are presumed guilty until proven compliant.